Today's Liberal News

“Police State Without the State”: Palestinian Authority Faces Protests over Critic’s Death in Custody

We look at growing opposition to the Palestinian Authority after the killing of a prominent activist, Nizar Banat, a vocal critic of the ruling body who died in PA custody after security forces violently arrested him at his home. Banat’s killing has sparked protests calling for President Mahmoud Abbas to step down. “The Palestinian Authority now is acting like a police state without the state,” says Palestinian writer Mariam Barghouti.

News roundup: Allies, liars, backtracking, screwing over women, and fixing tech

Today in the news: Calls coming to get our allies from Afghanistan out as soon as possible. Republicans and their media allies can’t stop lying about vaccines. Toyota finally reversed its despicable decision to donate money to elected insurrectionists. Texas restricted abortion … and then some. President Biden continues to take actions to help American workers.

Schumer bows to necessity, warns that August recess could be cut short

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer wants infrastructure. He wants it bad enough that he’s threatening the Senate’s August recess. “We have already made excellent progress towards our goals of rebuilding our nation’s infrastructure, confronting the threat of climate change, and investing in American families,” he wrote in a letter to Senate Democrats Friday.

Biden admin announces policy limiting ICE detention of pregnant immigrants. But will it be followed?

The Biden administration on Friday unveiled policy limiting the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention of pregnant individuals, stating that federal immigration officials will not detain pregnant immigrants “unless release is prohibited by law or exceptional circumstances exist.” While advocates called the administration’s policy a step in the right direction, they remained cautious.

Why I’m Supporting England at Euro 2020

I am not from England. I have no family in England. And I have not spent a considerable amount of time on English soil. So my investment in the success of England’s soccer team, at face value, doesn’t make much sense. I cheer as Raheem Sterling glides past a defender; I smile as Bukayo Saka sends the perfect pass to a teammate; I hold my breath with the anticipation of possibility when Jadon Sancho gets anywhere within 25 yards of the opponent’s goal.

How Gossip Girl Got Creepy

The late Janet Malcolm, writing about the Gossip Girl novels for The New Yorker in 2008, delighted in the heartlessness of the teenage characters—their voyeuristic cruelty and the sharp satisfaction they take in the downfall of their peers. What the series understands, Malcolm wrote, is that “children are a pleasure-seeking species, and that adolescence is a delicious last gasp (the light is most golden just before the shadows fall) of rightful selfishness and cluelessness.

The Books Briefing: The Best Books to Get Lost in This Summer

Whether you’re in the mood to read outdoors or curl up on a couch this summer, The Atlantic’s writers and editors have reading recommendations to match. In today’s newsletter, you’ll find a selection of books filled with excitement, wherever you find yourself. (You can browse the Culture team’s full summer reading list here.)
​Every Friday in the Books Briefing, we thread together Atlantic stories on books that share similar ideas.

Doctors Might Have Been Focusing on the Wrong Asthma Triggers

Nicole Lawson spent the beginning of the pandemic incredibly worried about her daughter, who has asthma. Five-year-old Scarlett’s asthma attacks were already landing her in the ER or urgent care every few months. Now a scary new virus was spreading. Respiratory viruses are known triggers of asthma attacks, and doctors also feared at the time that asthma itself could lead to more severe coronavirus infections.

Lebanon Faces Dire Crisis After the Elite Plundered the State for Decades, Exacerbating Inequality

Lebanon is days away from a “social explosion,” according to the country’s prime minister, amid what the World Bank has described as one of the worst economic depressions in modern history. The country’s currency has lost more than 90% of its value, unemployment has skyrocketed, and fuel prices have soared. Most homes and businesses, and even hospitals, only have power for a few hours each day, and pharmacies are running low on medicine. The U.N.

Eswatini, Formerly Swaziland, Sees Brutal Government Crackdown on Mass Protests over Inequality

The government of the southern African nation of Eswatini, which was known as Swaziland up until 2018, is brutally cracking down on the largest anti-government protests in the country since it became independent from Britain 53 years ago. Eswatini, bordered by Mozambique and South Africa, is currently facing an economic crisis with a shortage of gas, food and other resources.

As Texas Pushes “Worst Voter Suppression Bill in the Country,” Activists Call on Biden to Do More

As President Joe Biden met with civil rights groups this week to discuss how to fight voter suppression efforts, Texas lawmakers followed other battleground states controlled by Republicans with a new push to overhaul the state’s election laws. New restrictions would include a ban on drive-thru voting and 24-hour or late-night voting options, and election officials could be penalized for sending out unsolicited absentee applications.